SHU athletic director Cook to retire

William S. Paxton

Updated 6:17 pm, Tuesday, November 27, 2012

When Don Cook took over the Sacred Heart athletic program in 1992, the Pioneers were not even on the NCAA Division I landscape.

Twenty years later, the Pioneers -- with 31 sports -- have become maybe the signature program in the Northeast Conference with its successful blend of athletics, citizenship and academics. The school has won five straight NEC Commissioner's Cups on the field, been the recipient of two consecutive Building Better Communities awards for its work off campus and had its student-athletes' combined grade-point never dip blow 3.0.

Sacred Heart will have to maintain that high achievement without Cook, though, starting July 1, with the 72-year-old Fairfield resident announcing Tuesday he plans to retire.

Latest Sports Video

"I'm not going anywhere over night," Cook said, by phone Tuesday afternoon from his on-campus office. "I'm going to finish the year."

Since 1966, Cook has been a fixture in Connecticut collegiate athletics, starting as a baseball coach at Fairfield and later moving on to serve as the AD with the Stags, University of Hartford and SHU. At both Hartford and SHU, he helped the programs transition into the Division I ranks.

"If Don's not the only one (to take two schools to the D-I level), he's in a very small club," said Jim Barquinero, SHU's senior vice president of student affairs and athletics. "Don helped us navigate through the transition."

Cook helped plenty of people accomplish many things in collegiate athletics over the past five decades, but always stayed true to his belief in treating people fairly and putting student-athletes first no matter what endeavor he was involved in.

"He's the gentleman AD," said Barquinero, who added he's heard the term "gentleman" many times over the years to describe his friend. "It's a bit surreal right now to be honest. I've worked with him for 20 years and now I have to go out and replace him."

The university will conduct a national search for Cook's replacement, and Barquinero said the next AD could come from a different career path than athletics.

"We'll figure it out," he said.

Since he was a 24-year-old first-time baseball coach with Fairfield, Cook has figured out plenty over the years, including how to live in the same house while working at three different schools.

"I've been blessed to have some great mentors and colleagues," he said. "I've made a lot of friends over the years."

One of them works at Cook's old school.

"I have known Don as a friend and colleague for over 25 years," Fairfield University AD Gene Doris said. "He has represented all that is good about intercollegiate athletics. He is part of a breed that will not pass this way again."

Cook pondered retirement a few years ago, but after his wife, Patty Hemenway, passed away, his plans changed and he continued at SHU. However, Barquinero knew eventually this day would come.

With his son Christopher Cook currently battling cancer and his daughter Dr. Courtney Stephenson living in Charlotte, N.C., with his grandchildren, Cook decided this was the right time to retire and focus on some other things in life.

For the rest of the school year, Barquinero hopes to turn it into a celebration of Cook's work over the years. With a hand in some many things, asking Cook to name his proudest moment is like asking a parent to chose their favorite child.